Vacuum-tube sign.



Patented May 6, |902.

n. MGF. Moons. VACUUM TUBE SIGN.

(Application filed Apr. 13, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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. Patented May 6, |902.

D. MGF. MDURE.

VACUUM TUBE SIGN.

(Application med Apr. 1 3, 1901.)

(N o Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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THE Noms PETERS nu Pu may be changed at Will UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOORE ELECTRICAL COMPANY,

TION OF NEW YORK.

OF NEV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- VACUUIVl-TUBE SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,208, dated May 6, 1902. Application filed April 13, 1901. Serial No. 55,684- (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be `it. known that I, DANIEL MCFAELAN MOORE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovementin Vacuum- V TubeSigns, of which the following is a specifri/cation.

Tliis invention relates to an improvement in signs made from electric lights or lamps, and particularly to signs of this kind Wherein the lamps consist of vacuum-tubes.

The lobject of the invention is the construction of a sign apparatus wherein all the parts can be protected and yet made readily accessible and can be easily adjusted and regulated and wherein the Wording of the sign and expeditiously.

With this object in view the invention consists in the construction, formation, and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed. p p A In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents in elevation thesign-box forming a part of this sign apparatus. Fig. 2 represents in elevation with the'door thereof thrown open, the casing and the exciter contained therein. Fig. 3 represents in vertical longitudinal section the sign-box seen in Fig-1. Fig. 4 represents a Vertical section through the signbox, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken through the solenoid and interruptor of the exciter seen in Fig. 2.

ln the vacuum-tube sign apparatus forming the subject of this invention there is what may be termed the signfbox and the exciter. The former is indicated at 6, and the latter is inclosed in a casing or box 7. The sign-box 6 is preferably made from sheet metal and of such length and breadth as will accommodate the 'desired length of word or phrase constituting thesign and the height of the letters from which said word or phrase consists, the thickness of the box being sufficient only to give the desired air-space between its sides and the tubular lamps of the sign. In the opposite ends of the boxes there are located strips of insulating material, as indicated at 8, which may be of slate or fiber. Mounted on these strips of insulation are posts, as 9, between which are stretched horizon tally two pairs of Wires, the wires in each pair being in a horizontal plane and spaced apart the distance of tho diameter of the tubes, forming the letters of the sign. These wires are indicated at 10 and 11, suitable tension devices therefor, as screws 12, being provided in the posts at one end of each pair. Clips or`cross-stays are also provided for holding the wires of each pair together in the vicinity vof the letters, as indicated at 13.

letters are provided with metallic caps or bands closely fitted thereto, by which electrical contact is made with the Wires 10 and 11, said wires constituting terminals of the sign-box circuit, from'which suitable conductors, as l5 16, lead to the exciter, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. These conductors may and preferably do lead into the sign-box through pipes, as 17, by which said box may be suspended or supported in the desired position.

The sign-box thus described is preferably provided with a glazed door 18, mounted in vertical Ways at the ends of the box and held in closed position by means of latches 19, and prevented from leaving the boxby means of projections, as 20, extending into said ways at their lower ends for engagement with a bead formed along the upper edge of said door. The exciter in the casing 7 consists of the vibrator 2l, the actuating-coiltherefor, 22, the permanent magnet 23, the hammer-solenoid 24, and the switch-socket 25, by which the excitermaybe coupled to any suitable source of current, as to a socket in an ordinary incan descent xture, by means of a suitable core and plugs. The vibrator 2l consists of an hermetically-sealed and exhausted tube having depending therein a curved arm, as 26, Whose lower end is formed into a pivot, on which is mounted the armature 27'. Into said tube, near one end, projects a contact for engagement with the armature, as seen at 28, Fig. 2. Through the tube also, over the pivot 2G, there is extended a conductor which is joined to the armature 27. These conductors terminate in suitable binding-posts, as seen in Fig. 2, whence lead conductors 29 and 30 to binding-posts 3l and 32, respectively, to which conductors l5 and 1G are also connected. From the binding-post 31 a conductor, as 33, leads to the magnet 22, Whose opposite terminal is connected by conductor 34 with the switch-socket 25. From said socketa conductor, as 35, is led to the spring-contact 36, which is mounted on the lower end of the solenoid 24 and normally supports the movable core 37 of said solenoid. On the lower end of said core is a contact for electrical engagement with said spring, whence leads one terminal 38 of said solenoid. There is also on the lower end of said core a projection, as 39, which passes through the spring 3G, for the purpose of striking the interrupter 2l in the event ofthe armature sticking to its contact, a suitable tension device, as screw 40, being applied to said spring for determining Jthe blow that shallbe delivered by said core. The opposite terminal of the solenoid 24 is connected by conductor 41 with binding-post 32.

The circuits of the sign apparatus then are as follows: From the switch-socket 25 current is led to and through the magnet 22, over conductors 34 33, thence to contact 28, over conductor 29, through armature 27, and to binding-post 32, over conductor 30, thence through the solenoid over conductors 41 38, and back to the switch-socket through spring 36 and conductor 35, the sign being in shunt around the break of the interrupter, through which shunt the induced current from coils 22 and 24 flows by way of conductor 35, spring 3G, conductors 38 4l 15, wires 10, letters 14, wires 11, conductor 16, binding-post 3l, thence by conductors 33 and 34 to the switchsocket 25.

The solenoid is of a sluggish nature, so that when the armature is operating at the desired rapidity its core does not become sufficiently energized to interrupt the circuit with spring 36. Should the armature, however, fail to operate with the desired rapidity, as by sticking to the contact 28, then the solenoid will attract and elevate its core, thereby interrupting the current, when the solenoid instantly becomes deenergized and said core falls and strikes the interrupter, thereby jarring the armature from engagement with the contact 28 and starting it into operation again.

The blow of the core upon the interrupter is regulated by means of the screw 40, while the action of the solenoid upon said core is regulated by means of the screw 42. `Within the solenoid there is in addition to the movable core 37 an adjustable core 43, to which said screw is connected. By this construction there is exerted upon the core 37 an attraction through the core 43, such as a magnet has for its armature, and this in addition to the ordinary solenoid action upon said core 37. By this construction said coro 37 is raised to a definite height equally and with uniformity. These cores just described preferably consist ot' bundles of wires incased with suitable non-magnetic material, and their adjacent ends are one or both covered with like material to prevent their sticking, core 43 being shown thus covered in Fig. 5.

The permanent magnet 23 is mounted in a clip 45, which is located in a guide, as 4G, in the bottom of box 7, whereby said magnet may be readily adjustable lengthwise of the interrupter 21. This magnet exerts a constant pull upon the armature .27, which pull is independent of the current which operates the interrupter, and which by the action of the interrupter is rapidly made and broken. In other words, said magnet serves as a magnetic retractor or spring for the armature 27, and by adjusting it longitudinally of said armature greater or less tension is applied to the armature.

In the sign apparatus described the signbox may be located in the desired position, and the exciter may be located in proximity thereto or at any distance therefrom, as convenience or desire may suggest.

Many changes in structure and modifications in form ofthe apparatus and parts thereof may be made without departing from the invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. In the exciter, the combination with the circuit-interrupter, of a permanent magnet located under the tail of the vibrating armature and an adjustable plate in which said magnet is mounted.

2. In the exciter the combination with the vibrator of a solenoid mounted above it, a vibrating core for the solenoid having an extension for striking the vibrator, and a vertically-adjustable core located in the upper end of the solenoid.

3. In the exciter the combination with the vibrator of a solenoid mounted above it, a vibrating core for the solenoid having an extension for striking the vibrator, an electric Contact carried by said core, a spring-contact upon which the core normally rests, and a tension device for said spring.

4. In the exciter the combination with the vibrator-tube, of a curved arm therein having a pivot formed thereon and the armature supported on said pivot.

5. In an exciter substantially as described, the combination with the circuit-breaking armature, of a permanent magnet located under one end thereof and adjustable longitudinally of said armature, vfor the purpose set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 9th day of April, A. D. 1901.

DANIEL MOFARLAN MOORE.

l/Vitnesses:

DnLnnn'r H. Dnoxnn, E. L. LAwLnn.

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